The Policy & Practice of Climate Change & Water

Competing Needs and the Decision-Making Process: A Travel Blog on Water Management in the Western US - CONCLUSIONby Steve Moncaster

Steve Moncaster is the Supply Demand Strategy Manager for Anglian Water, a regional water and water recycling company in the east of England. Mr. Moncaster is travelling in the US on a grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The Trust was established in memory of Sir Winston and is dedicated to exchanging ideas and best practice between different peoples and cultures.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Anglian Water, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, or AGWA.

---

The past week was my last in the US (I am writing this on a train to London). I spent those final days in Arizona and Nevada meeting with staff from the Central Arizona Project, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the City of Phoenix Water Services Department. My discussions with water managers and stakeholders focused mainly on the management and use of water in the lower Colorado basin, including the emergence of a “structural deficit” (the possibility of shortages in the supply from Lake Mead and measures which are being implemented to manage the related risks). Read More...

Competing Needs and the Decision-Making Process: A Travel Blog on Water Management in the Western US - PART THREEby Steve Moncaster

Steve Moncaster is the Supply Demand Strategy Manager for Anglian Water, a regional water and water recycling company in the east of England. Mr. Moncaster is travelling in the US on a grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The Trust was established in memory of Sir Winston and is dedicated to exchanging ideas and best practice between different peoples and cultures.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Anglian Water, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, or AGWA.

---

It has been yet another busy week full of meetings across the west. In the last week I have had meetings with the USGS and the Bureau of Reclamation in Colorado and a public utility in Portland, Oregon. The discussions in Colorado covered lessons learned from the current drought in California and the Southwest. We also had productive discussions about the Colorado Basin study and issues related to the adaptation of ecological systems to the effects of a changing climate. In Portland, we spent time examining the lessons we could learn from past and present collaborations between the water supply agencies in the metropolitan area. Read More...

Competing Needs and the Decision-Making Process: A Travel Blog on Water Management in the Western US - PART TWOby Steve Moncaster

Steve Moncaster is the Supply Demand Strategy Manager for Anglian Water, a regional water and water recycling company in the east of England. Mr. Moncaster is travelling in the US on a grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The Trust was established in memory of Sir Winston and is dedicated to exchanging ideas and best practice between different peoples and cultures.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Anglian Water, the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, or AGWA.

---

I am now past the halfway point of my journey throughout the U.S. In my travels I have done my best to find out more about the competing needs for water, the roles and desires of stakeholders, and the multiple facets of the decision-making process surrounding sustainable water management. My trip has taken me far and wide, and I have met with experts and stakeholders from all walks of life. Below is a glimpse into the most recent part of this journey. Read More...

Water Management in the Western US – Competing Needs and the Decision-Making Processby Steve Moncaster

Steve Moncaster is the Supply Demand Strategy Manager for Anglian Water, a regional water and water recycling company in the east of England. Mr. Moncaster is travelling in the US on a grant from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The Trust was established in memory of Sir Winston and is dedicated to exchanging ideas and best practice between different peoples and cultures.

---

The purpose of my visit is to meet with water resource professionals in the western states to discuss current and emerging issues related to the management, conservation and use of water resources. My aim is to learn how the competing needs for water are being managed and how different stakeholders are coming together to develop reliable, affordable and sustainable systems of water supply. From the lessons I learn, I hope to improve the way that strategic water resource planning is undertaken in the UK. This includes increasing stakeholder participation in the key decision-making processes and enhancing the quality and robustness of the resulting strategies and plans. Read More...